(1) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Eighty-Eight

Cassandra hums along with a song playing through her headphones as she ties the laces on her boots up. She's actually in a good mood this morning. Feels lighter. Doesn't have the instant desire to drink. She's getting up. Dressed. And feels good. Not perfect. But she's getting there. It's been a week since the whole Founder's kick-off thing and she feels good. That's a good step. She's trying. She wants to get on with life. No more dwelling on the things she cannot change. She cannot undo what she did. She cannot bring Vicki back to life. She can't. So she has to move on. Damon was right, if she doesn't, it will eat her alive. She pats her knees and stands from her bed. She holds out her hand and twists her fingers, using her powers to pick up her bag, a headache slamming into her, she drops her bag as her powers cut out and she groans, crouching to clutch to her head. Okay, she hasn't been drinking and it is still happening. There goes that theory.

"Ow," She complains as the pain starts to fade. She's just going to have to be careful with what she uses her powers for until she figures it out.

.......

Cassandra raises an eyebrow at Jenna who is talking to her but Cassandra has long since given up following the conversation even though Jenna is talking to her. It's car talk. Cassandra knows nothing about cars.

"What about this one?" Jenna asks and holds up a print out, one of many that she has, regarding Cassandra's new car. Well, new second-hand car. But she just can't bring herself to replace that jeep yet.

"Jenna" Cassandra starts and sets her spoon in her cereal. "Look, thanks for helping but I don't think I'm ready to replace it" Jenna gives her a soft smile, completely understands why. "I just....it was Mom's and..." Cassandra shakes her head. "I can't replace it...I just..."

"It's okay" Jenna stops her. "There's no rush, you can just keep using mine"

"I don't want to be a bother" Cassandra argues. "I can just...walk" Jenna gives her a look and Cassandra shrugs. She hates that she is still using Jenna's car, even though she knows her reasoning behind it, she doesn't want a new car but needs transport to and from school, ergo, she needs Jenna's car.

.........

Cassandra taps her boot heel on the leg of her chair in her history class. She is feeling a little on edge. Just a little. Which is to be expected. And she's dealing with it rather well.

"Okay, this week we're gonna set outside our regular curriculum for a lesson in local history as we approach Founders' Day," Alaric tells the class. "Apparently the community leaders feel it's more important than World War 2 but hey what do I know?" Bonnie interrupts him and enters the classroom.

"Sorry I'm late" Bonnie tells Alaric who nods a little.

"Well, it looks like we will be at full occupancy today. Welcome back, Bonnie." Bonnie sits down and smiles at Cassandra who waves with her fingers but when she looks at Stefan her smile fades and. Stefan smiles at her but she tries not to look and him and turns her head. Elena and Stefan don't understand, they look at each other. Cassandra lets out a breath and glances out the window. She tilts her head as she notices that the clouds have taken on a dark red appearance as it starts to rain. Heavy and dark. Mysterious. Ominous. It doesn't feel good. She looks around the rest of the class but no one else seems to have noticed. She looks back outside but everything has returned to normal. No sign of it having been raining. No red clouds. Nothing out of the ordinary. She sits up and frowns. She's not sure what that means, but it can't be good. "Cassandra" Alaric states and she looks at him. He's frowning at her. Concerned. He lifts his fingers and touches the top of his own lips. She frowns and reaches up, touching her face in the same place. Her nose is bleeding. Her frown deepens. That's not happened before. Not when she hasn't been using her powers. She touches her face again and then pulls her hand back to stare at her fingers. Elena and Bonnie are both looking at her concerned. "Why don't you go to the toilets?" Alaric asks her. Cassandra nods and pushes her chair back to flee the classroom. Elena frowns as her eyes follow after her.

.............

Cassandra is cleaning her face of the blood when the toilet door opens and Bonnie walks in. Cassandra turns on the water tap to dampen a tissue, it's just going to fall apart but she has nothing else to use to clean herself up.

"Hey" Cassandra greets as she spots her friend's reflection. Bonnie gives her a smile. "You okay? How's your family?"

"We're dealing, it's been hard. But you know, glad to be back and trying to keep myself busy" Bonnie answers and takes the tissue from Cassandra. "Here, let me do that" Cassandra turns to face her, letting Bonnie clean her up.

"Thanks" Cassandra whispers.

"What's going on with you?" Bonnie asks as she motions to Cassandra's face. "This happened before?"

"Only when I push my powers" Cassandra answers, whispering the last word. "Never happened like this before" She turns back to her reflection and sighs. "Just what I need...on top of everything else" She pushes back from the sink. "Whatever, you don't need to worry about this stuff," She tells Bonnie who gives her a look back.

"My best friend is having spontaneous nose bleeds, I'm allowed to be worried" Bonnie counters. Cassandra shrugs.

"You have enough to worry about"

"Yeah" Bonnie whispers in agreement. "The tomb vampires"

"Should I not have told you?" Cassandra asks her.

"Part of me wants to say yes" Bonnie admits. "That it would have been better if I didn't know, but I know why you told me" She assures Cassandra. "And I would probably be mad if you hadn't" She adds and shrugs, her eyes then drawn to the necklace around Cassandra's neck. "Is this new?" Bonnie asks as she reaches out for Cassandra's necklace, but the second her fingers touch it, it shocks her. Bonnie yelps a little and pulls her hand back.

"What?" Cassandra asks her, Bonnie shakes her head and rubs her fingers together. "What is it?"

"Nothing" Bonnie whispers but can't keep her eyes off that necklace. "Just...static shock"